What is the Northbank Community Redevelopment Area?
The Downtown Northbank CRA is comprised of two formerly separate CRAs: the Northside West CRA created by Ordinance 81-562-240 on August 11, 1981, and the Downtown East CRA created by Ordinance 85-145-130 on March 12, 1985. The trust funds for each of those original CRA’s were also combined, however separate accounting records are maintained with respect to each of the former areas in order to calculate the increment revenues from each (because they have different Base Years) and in order to assure that any outstanding indebtedness payable from increment revenues in each former area is repaid only from the increment revenue derived from such former area, respectively.
The DIA Board serves as the Community Redevelopment Agency for the Northbank Downtown Community Redevelopment Area (“CRA”), which operates under Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes. Originally there were two distinct CRAs for the Northbank: The Northside West CRA and the Downtown East CRA.
- The Northside West CRA Plan was approved by City Council, along with the Northside West Redevelopment Trust Fund, on August 11, 1981 with a base year of 1980 for the increment and expires December 31, 2041 (Ordinance 81-424-194).
- The Downtown East CRA Plan was approved by City Council, along with the Northside West Redevelopment Trust Fund, on March 12, 1985, with a base year of 1984 for the increment and expires December 31, 2045 (Ordinance 85-145-130).
In 2000, the City of Jacksonville merged and consolidated the boundaries of the Northside West CRA and the Downtown East CRA, into a single combined Northbank Downtown CRA (Ordinance 2000-1078-E) and their respective Redevelopment Trust Funds were also combined. A table indicating all amendments to these former CRAs can be found below.
In 2014, the DIA updated and consolidated the CRA Plans for both the Northbank Downtown CRA and the Southside CRA. The CRA Plan for all of Downtown is titled: the Downtown Jacksonville Community Redevelopment Plan. This Plan was approved by the DIA on July 30, 2014 (Res. 2014-07-03), enacted by City Council on February 10, 2015 (2014-560-E).
In 2022, the DIA updated the CRA Plans for both the Northbank Downtown CRA and the Southside CRA. The update is required by State Statue and must occur every five (5) years. This Plan was approved by the DIA on February 23, 2022 (Res. 2022-02-08), enacted by City Council on June 28, 2022 (2022-0372-E).
Northbank Downtown Redevelopment Trust Fund
The Jacksonville City Council created the Northbank Downtown Redevelopment Trust Fund with corresponding Tax Increment Financing District (Ordinance 2000-1078-E) by merging the Northside West Redevelopment Trust Fund- created on August 11, 1981, expires December 31, 2041 (Ordinance 81-562-240) and the Downtown East Redevelopment Trust Fund- created on March 12, 1985, expires December 31, 2044 (Ordinance 85-145-130). Due to the different years in which the CRAs were established, the City maintains separate accounting records for the Northside West CRA and the Downtown East CRA to reflect the appropriate base year and indebtedness for the calculation of the increment revenues.
Tax Increment Financing | Primary Functions
As the Community Redevelopment Agency for Downtown Jacksonville, the DIA has six primary functions for which it may allocate funding:
- Constructing public capital improvements such as improving parks, streetscapes, and parking structures;
- Assembling land for public use and any public/private partnerships;
- Promoting and marketing the Northbank Downtown CRA, and;
- Leveraging grants, loans, and other funding instruments;
- Engaging in economic development; and
- Promoting housing.
Community Redevelopment Area Goals
- Increase commercial office utilization, occupancy, and job growth to reinforce Downtown Jacksonville as the region’s epicenter for business.
- Increase rental and owner-occupied housing Downtown targeting diverse populations identified as seeking a more urban lifestyle.
- Increase and diversify the number and type of retail, food and beverage, and entertainment establishments within Downtown.
- Increase the vibrancy of Downtown for residents and visitors through arts, culture, history, sports, theater, events, parks, and attractions.
- Improve the safety, accessibility, and wellness of Downtown Jacksonville and cleanliness and maintenance of public spaces for residents, workers, and visitors.
- Improve the walkability/bike-ability of Downtown and pedestrian and bicycle connectivity between Downtown and adjacent neighborhoods and the St. Johns River.
- Capitalize on the aesthetic beauty of the St. John’s River, value its health and respect its natural force, and maximize interactive and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors to create waterfront experiences unique to Downtown Jacksonville.
- Simplify and increase the efficiency of the approval process for Downtown development and improve departmental and agency coordination
Redevelopment Activities
The following is a list of redevelopment activities, projects, and programs, for which the DIA (acting as the Northbank Downtown Community Redevelopment Agency) can seek to allocate Northbank Downtown Redevelopment Trust Fund monies throughout the life of the Northbank Downtown CRA to continue the redevelopment of Downtown:
- Economic Development
- Directional Signage and Wayfinding
- Streetscape and Infrastructure
- Parking
- Design Guidelines
- Historic Preservation
- Housing
- Riverfront, Parks and Open Space
- Public Investment Properties
- Marketing, Festivals, Entertainment, and Tourism
- Culture, Arts, and Education
- Community Health
- Resiliency
Ethics
As a Florida special district, a unit of special purpose local government, Ch. 112, Part III, Florida Statutes, provides general pertinent ethics rules applicable to the CRA.
Jacksonville has a very strong commitment to ethics in city government. In 1999, the Jacksonville City Council enacted a comprehensive Ethics Code for the City. Jacksonville's Ethics Program is innovative; instead of just emphasizing laws, it attempts to train all City employees and officials in the values behind the rules and regulations. Training is organized through the Office of Ethics, Compliance and Oversight with the assistance of the Office of General Counsel.
Financials
The CRA follows the same fiscal year as the City of Jacksonville, October 1- September 30. The CRA does not impose any additional assessments, taxes or fees, but is funded by general ad valorem tax revenues generated from increases in property values within the CRA Area since its creation.
Audited Financial Reports
City of Jacksonville, Florida | Community Redevelopment Agency Fund
Department of Financial Services (DFS) Annual Financial Report
The Department of Financial Services (DFS) website provides public access to the special district’s Annual Financial Report, as required by Section 218.32(1)(g), Florida Statutes. DFS Annual Financial Report search application: https://apps.fldfs.com/LocalGov/Reports/
Community Redevelopment Agency Annual Report
Legal Description for the Northbank Community Redevelopment Area
The legal description for the Northbank Downtown Community Redevelopment Area, as set forth in Ordinances 81-424-194, 92-392-489 (as to the original Northside West Community Redevelopment Area), 85-145-130 and 85-598-340 (as to the original Downtown East Community Redevelopment Area), and consolidated in Ordinance 2000-1078-E, is as follows:
Begin at the intersection of the west right-of-way line of Pearl Street with the north right-of-way line of State Street; thence westerly along said north right-of-way line of State Street to the westerly right-of -way line of Jefferson Street; thence northerly along said westerly right-of-way line of Jefferson Street 1726.25 feet to a point as defined in the legal description prepared by Sunshine State Surveyors, Inc., dated September 24, 1990 on the Blodgett Homes site proposed for the State Regional Service Center; thence westerly along said line as referenced in the above survey to the easterly right-of-way line of Davis Street; thence southerly along said easterly right-of-way line of Davis Street to the northerly right-of-way of State Street; thence westerly and northwesterly along said north right-of-way line of State Street to the northwesterly right-of-way line of Interstate 95, State Road Number 9; thence southwesterly along said northwesterly and westerly right-of-way line to an intersection with a line being a westerly prolongation of the northeasterly right-of way line of the portion of Interstate 95 leading to and from the Fuller Warren Bridge over the St. Johns River; thence southeasterly along said line and northeasterly right-of-way line to the centerline of the St. Johns River; thence northeasterly and easterly and northerly along said centerline to a point of intersection with a line that is an easterly prolongation of the south line of Marshall Subdivision and the north line of Wambolt Place Subdivision; thence westerly along said line to the westerly right-of-way line of Talleyrand Avenue; thence north 495 feet, more or less, to the north right-of-way line of Marshall Street; thence westerly along the north right-of way line of Marshall Street to the west right-of-way line of the Martin Luther King Parkway; thence southerly along the west right-of-way line of Martin Luther King Parkway to the north right-of-way line of Jacksonville Expressway; thence westerly along the north right-of-way line of Jacksonville Expressway and its connection to the north right-of-way line of State Street, to the point of beginning.